UNICEF has requested an initial £ 4.2 million for its emergency operation to assist the survivors of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (Burma).   

Children and women require urgent assistance to survive in increasingly desperate conditions. Initial stocks already in the country are being distributed, but they will not be sufficient to meet critical needs that include clean drinking water, shelter materials, water purification tablets, cooking sets, mosquito nets, food, essential drugs, and appropriate sanitation facilities.

The destruction has led to an estimated one million homeless people across five states of Myanmar. The conditions pose serious risks for outbreaks of infections and water-borne diseases. The displaced are living in congested shelters or out in the open and lack drinking water, food and toilet facilities.